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Health insurer Bupa has introduced a new app functionality in a bid to boost customer satisfaction, enhance transparency, and drive down call centre volumes.
The new function, available via myBupa website and mobile app, allows members to instantly find out how much of their policy extras cover can be claimed before their annual allocation runs out. It runs on both iOS and Android.
“For many sectors, letting customers see what they spend and what they have left to use is not revolutionary,” Nick Park, Bupa’s director of digital, told iTnews. “Health care, though, is inherently more complex than most other sectors, so the fact that a majority of our customers can now log on to myBupa and see their remaining limits is a key step to improving transparency and usability for members.”
Introducing the new feature is also a move towards winning back customer trust after the Hayne royal commission exposed some insurers of wrongly denying claims and selling junk insurance.
“When people talk about the cost of health insurance, often what they are looking for is value for money,” Park said. “This development means customers can now see how much they have to claim and help them plan so they get the most out of their cover, and more value for money.”
The new function would also save Bupa some $80bn in administration costs, allowing the health insurer to invest more in the ANZ region, and is expected to reduce call centre volume, as 40% of calls were “in some way related to customers seeking guidance on what they are covered for,” iTnews reported.
